Angry crowd bays for little girl’s ‘murderer’
ANGRY residents blocked the entrance of a magistrate’s court in North West yesterday, saying they wanted to kill the sangoma who is accused of murdering a four-yearold girl whose hand was cut off, allegedly for muthi purposes.
Yesterday, the courtroom at the Vryburg Magistrate’s Court was packed to capacity with heavily armed police blocking the door.
The residents of Huhudi were angry at the man accused of killing Nomthandazo Talakase who went missing on September 11 while playing with her friends.
The little girl’s decomposing body was found wrapped in dirty sheets at a dumping site in Monoto Mosetlha informal settlement. Her left hand was missing. Patrick Makoro, 34, was arrested on Saturday just a few hours after Nomthandazo was buried.
Makoro told the court that he was innocent and he was going to defend himself at his next court appearance. He revealed that he had previous convictions for fraud and assault.
Residents said jail was not punishment enough for a man they know as part of the community.
They said they wanted him dead and threatened to burn his house. Makoro’s sister Moeder Makoro said they were shocked that this was allegedly done by one of their own. She said she had also joined the hunt for the little girl after hearing she was missing.
“We were all supporting the family but were shocked to find out that it was my brother [who is being accused],” she said.
Moeder said her brother was a traditional healer.
“I’m very sorry and want to apologise to the child’s family for the pain my brother [allegedly] caused them.”
Nomthandazo’s mother Refilwe Talakase said: “He came to our house selling meat a day before he kidnapped my baby.
“What angers me the most is that my baby was kidnapped and murdered by someone I know.”
Takalase said police told her a sangoma had tipped them off that Makoro had come to him to “protect him” so he could not be arrested.
Nomthandazo’s father Jonathan Khumalo, 23, said his daughter was a bright little girl who liked modelling and singing.
“Maybe he chose her because she was intelligent and beautiful. I want to know why he picked her out of all the children in Huhudi.
“There’s no child who deserves to die in that way. I want him to look me in the eye and tell me why he did such a horrible thing to my daughter.”
The case was postponed to October 10 for further investigations and a possible bail application.